Private Sector to Boost State

Posted by State Rep. Mike Sanders40sc on August 04, 2010

By State Rep. Mike Sanders

Boeing has announced that it will be relocating 550 jobs to Oklahoma, and I couldn’t be more pleased to see the private sector give us a boost. Washington lawmakers think they know best and that job creation starts with government-sponsored work. They couldn’t be more wrong. It is the private sector that creates jobs.

Examples are abundant in Western Oklahoma. Pioneer Telephone in Kingfisher, the U.S. Gypsum plant in Southard, Wheeler Brothers in Watonga, Northwest Electric in Woodward, Cimarron Electric in Kingfisher, and Temtrol in Okarche are just a few companies in my district doing their part to create jobs. They lead by example where the federal government fails.

The Boeing jobs are coming to us in part because of the better business climate in Oklahoma due to low taxes and incentives for bringing high-quality jobs to the state. We also benefit from a rich aviation history and growing aerospace sector. Oklahoma is no longer just an oil-and-gas state, but a state with a growing diversity of industries that will propel us forward to new heights.

Already, we have weathered the recession better than most states. An Aug. 3 Tulsa World story notes that the state’s Business Conditions Index continues to be strong, adding jobs at an annualized rate of 2 percent even as businesses have expanded the work hours of current employees. I think that if we continue to emphasize infrastructure spending such as roads and bridges, and maintain or cut current tax levels, we will be in an even stronger position. We also need to push harder for true lawsuit reform and continue to improve our workers’ compensation system.

The Boeing Company’s C-130 Avionics Modernization and B-1 programs will be relocating from Long Beach, California, to Oklahoma City. High tax states will continue to lose business during these hard economic times, while pro-growth states like Oklahoma will benefit.

I want to remind you that the tax-free shopping weekend begins at midnight on Thursday. Items that will be tax exempt include clothing, shoes, diapers, and baby receiving blankets. Accessories and sports shoes will not be tax exempt.

I will be traveling through the district during the interim and will keep you regularly updated on the ideas and problems presented to me by constituents. As always, I would love to hear from you. I can be reached at the Capitol at (405) 557-7407.